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Thursday, June 25, 2009

NL: Horticulture develops method to calculate CO2 footprint

Via the website http://www.tuinbouw.nl/ from the Productschap Tuinbouw (PT) horticultural businesses can calculate the CO² emissions from their products. The sector has developed a method in which the horticultural industry can get an insight into how much greenhouse gas (CO²) is released and in which part of the chain. On 23 June the method was officially launched by the PT in Zoetermeer.

As well as calculating the carbon footprint of a specific product you can also see how the greenhouse gas emissions in the horticulture chain can be reduced. "There is already a demand for this with some products", said project leader Suzanne Vlakveld from the PT. "Dutch horticulture has, through the development of the measuring system, gained a head start and strives for international recognition of the protocol" , thus Vlakveld.

The measuring method was developed by the research consortium of Wageningen UR (WUR), Blonk Milieu Advies (BMA) and Agri Information Partners (AIP). The PT and ministry of LNV financed the project. In developing the method we set the foundations in the direction of the PAS2050 protocol which was set up by the British Standards Institute in cooperation with Defra and Carbon Trust.

With the Dutch measuring method the advantages of using heat and electricity which is generated by gas run generators has been taken into consideration. In the future the PT wants to run workshops for interested parties in the Horticulture industry and to expand the methods to more horticultural products including pot plants.For more information contact: Arie van Woerden, tel +31 (0)79-347 06 51 of a.vanwoerden@tuinbouw.nl.

The presentations from the PT, Agri Information Partners and LEI / WUR can be downloaded here.

Publication date: 6/25/2009
Author: Nichola Watson
Copyright: http://www.freshplaza.com/

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